<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=5><EM><STRONG> HEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!</STRONG></EM>= </FONT></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000 size=5></FONT></EM></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hope y'all are unfrozen. Hope y'all got 'lectricity.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hey, I just thought I would drop you a line and = let you know I'm FINALLY doing something (in the learning department). I've been = so far behind on these pianos, I had just wanted to get them done (but done = right). I can really see now that I should have taken several years and done = several pianos of my own and just analyzed them to death. Oh well, I'll get = there. I might end up sweating a bunch, but I'll get it right.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I spent the morning measuring crown and bearing = on the M&H upright I did to Del's design. (In the future, I'll probably = want to adjust downbearing on that piano - it has too much downbearing = in the treble and too little in the bass - maybe my first try was less perfect = than I had thought (and I suppose that is why the damn thing has tons of crown = in the bass and is flat up in the treble!). That's one thing nice about those = vertical hitches - you can go back and fine-tune downbearing.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>This evening I've been measuring the unstrung = Knabe crown at all ribs (except the top four - they're above the belly rail). Del = finally responded and gave me some angular downbearing targets - but they are = for a loaded condition. So I dragged out my go-bars and did an initial first = guess loading on the Knabe. I just measure along rib #3 to start with. = Unloaded it had about 10 mm of crown. Target for loading was about 6 mm. My initial = try squished it down to 4 mm. I trimmed the go-bars a tad (they were a = little thicker than the others in that area) and measured again. 5 mm this time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>So I guess you just jockey a few sticks around = until things even out to target loading. This is the first time I have done = this. I am absolutely shocked at how little pressure downward is required to = deflect the soundboard. I had 7 go-bars pushing down.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Well, I'll play more with it tomorrow. This is = great. I'm really feeling way more comfortable with this now. Thanks for all the = input you've been shooing my way.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Stay warm! Snuggle up to that lovely wife of = yours!  ;-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry F</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT = face=Arial size=2>> Chicken Little was right - the sky is falling. <BR>> = I'm taking a warm-up break from trying to trim tree limbs with a pole saw <BR>> in = an ice storm before more of them break and take out the power line. More = <BR>> ice coming tonight. If we aren't huddled in front of the fireplace in the = <BR>> dark by morning, I'll be surprised.<BR>> <BR>> Luck me...<BR>> = Ron N</FONT></BODY></HTML>